The Owls Are Gathering: Pottermore

If you're a Potterfile like I am, then you've noticed that the internet has been abuzz recently with news of an "announcement" soon to be made from author J.K. Rowling. A new website, Pottermore, features a pair of owls bookending the cryptic message: "Coming Soon", along with what appears to be the author's signature. There is even a Youtube page counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until said announcement will be made.

We don't know much about the content of this news; all that has been revealed is that it's not in reference to a new book, but will be "something equally exciting", according to MuggleNet. My guess? Pottermore will be a sort of encyclopedia of information about the Harry Potter series, detailing the complete backstory of all the important characters who appear in the book, and maybe even some of the minor ones, as well. Rowling has intimated before that she would release something like this, so perhaps now is the time for her to do so. Either way, I think all Potterfiles will be in for a serious treat! Is my excitement transparent?

{Images via Pottermore and J.K. Rowlin's YouTube page}

The Girl With the Owl Tattoo

I am not a tattoo person. I've never entertained even for a second the idea of getting my skin permanently inked. It's just not my thing. But if it were my thing, I would be all over this owl tattoo. Seriously. I'd bring this very photo with me to the tattoo parlor and say, "This. I want this."

{Photo via The Sartorialist}

Perfect Summer Tote

Behold the perfect summer tote. Ideal for beach days, school days, and every day in between.

Bonus: The bag is handcrafted by artisans in Kenya and is a fair trade product.

{Image via Madewell}

Book Scenes

Book lovers rejoice! Now you can proudly display your favorite book, words and all, some place other than your bookshelf. Each design at Poster Text depicts a classic book by arranging its text in such a way that recalls a memorable scene from that book's pages. The above image is taken from Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.

Seen above are images from Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Stoker's Dracula, and Homer's Odyssey. Wouldn't any of these designs look fetching hanging from a wall? I particularly adore the Austen poster (who can resist Elizabeth and Darcy? Not this blogger).

{Images via Poster Text}

Photo of the Day

Does life get much better than a box full of bookish cupcakes? Yeah, I didn't think so either.

{Photo via Flickr}

Cozy Simplicity

If there was ever an example of somebody's home reflecting one's own sense of personal style, I'd say Kerri Russell's exemplifies this concept beautifully. As seen in the June issue of Elle Decor, Russell's Brooklyn brownstone is as understated and elegant as she is. Cozy, yet totally chic, and absolutely a place this blogger would be happy to spend some time.

Don't you just want to dive into that bed? The sheets are from Matteo (my dream bedding). And I can quite happily while away an afternoon in her closet. The color palette is so soothing.

A vase brimming with vivid flowers packs the right punch in spare, neutral kitchen. For more images, click here.

{Photos from Elle Decor, via The City Sage}

Multipurpose items: A vanity at a glance

Confession: the tabletop on which these items are pictured is not, technically, a vanity. It’s actually a writing desk that I’ve sort of reshaped into a general nesting area for jewelry, perfume, and small photos and things of that nature. As you can see, I've grouped similar items together. For instance, earrings delicately hang from the top of a silver jewelry tree (see top photo), while rings sit in the tray below; a mirror becomes an excellent hanger for larger, more dangly earrings(see below).

Watches and a gold-linked bracelet lay atop a Jonathan Adler soap dish (re-imagining different uses for items increases their functionality, so I've learned).

Long necklaces are laid out flat so as to prevent entanglement (unsnarling a knot of necklaces is not how I like to spend my free time...been there, done that).

Perfume bottles huddle together in solidarity (see first photo). Below, sample perfume vials--it's an obsession--are stored inside the packaging of an old perfume and is separated into two scent categories: spring/summer and fall/winter.